‘I found Holden at a careers fair’: Aussie Jess Bala’s rise to the top of General Motors

Jess Bala was at home with her twin boys when she received a video call inviting her to a one-on-one meeting with renowned General Motors CEO, Mary Barra.

"I remember it vividly," says Bala, who is six months into her new post as Managing Director of GM Australia and New Zealand.

"I've got three kids, but that particular day my nanny had to go to an appointment, so I was working from home with our twin boys who were 10 months old at the time."

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Bala was "trying to wrangle" her sons during the call – which would ultimately culminate in her appointment as Barra's chief of staff in the US.

"I had to explain that this isn't how I normally operate," she recalls of the video chat.

"[Afterwards] my husband and I were just standing there staring at this calendar invite [for the next day] that said 'Jess and Mary 1:1'. She [Barra] was this figurehead who you knew was inspirational but didn't get a whole lot of time with, so to get that time... I was very nervous!"

Bala began her career in Melbourne at Holden in 2007, after spotting a stand for the now-defunct automotive company at a career fair and taking a leap of faith.

"I studied Commerce Law at Monash University, worked in several law firms while studying and decided it wasn’t for me. I found Holden at a careers fair and knew it was an iconic brand and so I applied ... I’d always been into cars but had never thought about it from a careers standpoint," Bala tells Drive. 

"It’s been the most amazing ride, and throughout all the different roles I’ve taken, every role has been [a result of] my leaders and mentors saying 'we think you should go do this', so it’s about trusting that people know your skillset and never being afraid of learning as you go."

Bala was posted to General Motors in Michigan in 2013 for what was meant to be a three-year stint that turned into 10 years in the heart of US car manufacturing.

Her most recent role was as Cadillac's Director of Global Product Planning and Product Strategy – where she helped guide the luxury brand into the electrification era.

Bala's return to Australia comes at a tumultuous time for the local automotive climate, with the announcement of the government's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) potentially posing a challenge for some of GM's key local offerings, including the V8-powered Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck and Corvette sports car.

"What we’re going to have to continue to do is evaluate what these proposed standards are and what that means for the portfolio we offer," Bala says of the NVES.

"Offering both capable vehicles – whether it’s a truck or a Corvette – and our luxury portfolio with Cadillac and EVs, we know our customers have different needs. We do believe we need as a country to do something to drive down emissions, but that needs to come hand-in-hand with EV adoption, and you can’t just interchange one with the other, it’s not going to happen overnight."

Bala describes the Australian new-car market as "unique", admitting she reminds her overseas colleagues "Our customers are not short of choice – we are one of the most saturated markets in the world ... our biggest challenge is how do we make ourselves stand apart?".

As one of a small (but growing) number of female executives in automotive, Bala is arguably no stranger to standing apart, describing her leadership style as "personal and approachable" with the aim of "leading by example".

"As women, and especially women who want to have children, you have this debate in your head – if I want to have kids, does that mean it's going to take me longer to get promoted?" Bala says.

"Our male counterparts don't even have that thought in their mind. When I came back from maternity leave – I got promoted. I share that in the most humble way to show other women in the business that it's not the end of your career."

She attributes a large part of her success at the company to having supportive managers. When she found out she was pregnant with twins, Bala asked her team leaders if she could carry out her maternity leave in Melbourne to be closer to her mother.

"I had to leave [the US] around 25 weeks because I was high-risk [for pregnancy] and go on maternity leave from 30 weeks and they made that happen for me," she recalls.

"Unfortunately, Covid hit when [the twins] were eight weeks old so I couldn't see my mum anyway – so it was irrelevant in the end!" she laughs.

Even as her children get older, Bala still isn't afraid to step away from work early to do the school run or call in late so she can attend her daughter's athletics carnival.

"I tell my team, 'I've got to do this'," she explains. "Hopefully, it shows anyone who has family commitments or even just important events in their lives that they're supported to do that."

For now, Bala has her hands full juggling the local launch of the Cadillac brand, with the all-electric Lyriq luxury SUV the first model to land, as well as the expansion of the company's truck and SUV offerings.

"I was driving an Escalade in the US, and one of my boys who loves cars as much as I do is constantly asking me 'When are we getting a big car again?' so I'm excited about the GMC Yukon [coming here]," she says.

As for her current daily driver? "I'm in a Holden Acadia!" she reveals. "Obviously, the business is a bit different right now... but I did have the amazing privilege of driving a Corvette for the Christmas break."

Bala says her time in the two-seater 'Vette certainly drew some curious stares from the public.

"The looks I got!" she laughs. "I was not who people expected to be getting out of that car. But it was a good excuse to go out without the kids!"